His Beautiful Future
Author – D M Evans
Rating – FRT
Disclaimer- all rights belong to Ms. Arakawa not me
Pairing –Roy/Riza
Timeline- Post series, spoilers for Roy's upbringing
Summary – Some things just don't go as planned
Author's Note – written for the fmakinky anonymous kink meme for the prompt 'Roy fails at proposing but gets the job done anyhow.' Thanks to SJ Smith for the look-over
***
In retrospect, he should have realized he was doomed. His timing had felt off for a while but Roy attributed that to the turmoil in the country. Armstrong was president and had made him an ambassador. After Riza's injuries during the Promised Day nightmare, she had been willing to retire from the military to be his civilian attaché. His mother and Armstrong both agreed now would be the smart political time for his little plan.
Maybe that's what felt off, the ulterior motive that others were putting on his plan. Roy sighed and concentrated on picking Riza's lock. For safety's sake, they didn't have keys to each other's place, just in case someone discovered their relationship back when she was his subordinate. It didn't matter. There wasn't a Chris Mustang foster who couldn't pick a pathetic lock like this one.
Riza had very few things from her mother but her mother's wedding ring was one of them. Her father had alchemized it for his wife. Roy planned on alchemizing bands for them both to match. He just needed to sneak the ring out of her apartment so he could present it to her tonight. Roy carefully rooted through her drawer, knowing where she hid it, in the big ammo box at the bottom of her underwear drawer. He paused, holding one of the silky, soft panties he had gotten her. As he rubbed it on his cheek, it smelled of laundry soap but that's all his imagination needed. Before his body could get too far, he heard barking in the hall. Hell, what were they doing back? At least Hayate gave him warning. If he got caught, it would ruin everything.
His hand dove to the bottom and fished up the ammo box. Roy pulled out the velvet ring box then put it all away as neatly as he could. He could hear Riza coming into the apartment. Keeping his cursing all mental, Roy slipped out the window and raced down the fire escape. He missed the second to the last step, went into a full out pratfall, twisting his ankle and landing on his butt. Roy bit his lip, keeping in a cry of pain. What a time not to have on combat boots! Testing his ankle, he decided it wasn't broken and he limped off, his pride more sore than his bum.
***
"This will take some getting used to," Riza observed over the remains of her strawberry-glazed quail. "Being out in public with you and not having to worry."
"A good thing I hope," he said, wondering if he had enough of the roasted-under-the-fire venison in him to absorb all the sparkling wine he was in the process of consuming. Whiskey didn't fit this elegant meal but he wanted it to kill the pain in his swollen ankle.
Riza sipped a little more wine of her own, brown eyes study on him. "It's a very good thing."
He smiled. Roy wondered if she was ever going to get up and go to the restroom and fix her make up or something women did that always took forever. He had planned on putting the box on her seat and hiring the violinist that wandered about to play while he got on one knee. Instead, Riza was being the soldier she was tonight, stolid and apparently immune to a full bladder or smeared lipstick. As he polished off the bottle of wine and his venison, Roy thought maybe plan B in the park would be more romantic after all.
"Are you all right, Roy?" Riza's lips pursed. "You're limping and you've been as nervous as a cat all night."
Damn, why did she have to notice? "I tripped over the rug this morning."
"That's because you never pick up your feet," Riza said. "I suppose we're not going dancing tonight after this."
"I had something else in mind, even before I tripped. Are you ready to go or would you like dessert?" He gave her one more chance to have a space of time to go to the bathroom. With his luck, he'd be the one who needed to pee and he'd drop the ring in the urinal or something. He wasn't risking it.
Riza patted her belly, making his gaze drift down to her taut abdomen. She had worn red tonight, as if she knew driving him mad was in her best interest. Low-backed clothing would always be out of the question, just for her own safety, but there was nothing against the rules about plunged necklines. Roy had spent the whole dinner steadfastly looking anywhere but into her moon-hued swell of breasts. If Havoc could see her now, he'd be wheeling after her full force. "I couldn't eat anything more…well, just a little." Riza used the last cracker to scoop up the remains of a soft gooey cheese that had preceded the meal, hot and salty with a sweet smear of fig preserves all over it. "Now, I'm totally full."
"Shall we?" Roy got up and pulled out her chair for her. "They've already charged my account."
"There are advantages of status." Smiling, she linked arms with him and Roy did his best not to limp like a wounded soldier coming off the line as he lead her outside.
Dusk settled around them. The street lights flared on as he walked her to the park. Above, the moon and stars began peering down from a cloudless sky. They were both relaxed and warmed by wine. How perfect was this? The park wasn't lonely, at least not yet. This time of night was for lovers. Other couples strolled under the spreading arms of tall oaks and maples in this green place in the heart of the city. Roy loved coming here, had started memorizing all the best spots during his frequent walks. He only regretted not getting to take her dancing afterwards if that's what she wanted to do.
He debated fountain versus pond as places to pop the question. A flower vendor wheeled her cart past them as they walked. Was that one of his 'sisters' pushing it? Probably. Mamma Mustang was probably keeping tabs on him to make sure he didn't run for the Creata border or something, as if he would. Fountain, he decided, less duck poop to contend with. They strolled slowly toward Roy's destination. There was no need to hurry or use the long strides they did at work and his ankle was happy about that.
Roy let her sit on the lip of the fountain. Only a few others were around and that flower vendor seemed to be circling the fountain. Roy wet his lips, his fingers curling around the velvet box in his pocket. "Riza, I have something…" he trailed off, nervously rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. "I'm trying to remember what I…" He shot her a curious look as Riza pointed over his shoulder. Turning to look, he frowned. Out of nowhere, street performers had descended on them, a juggler and a clown. He hated clowns. Sadly, the other couples around them didn't seem to share that low opinion.
Roy sagged down next to Riza in a huff, hoping they'd go away and he'd get to propose the way he wanted to and not with a clown and his antics in the way. Instead, the clown just kept getting closer and closer to him, entreating him to smile. Finally, Roy glared up and said, "I'm the Flame Alchemist. I can give you a few sens and you can go find someone who enjoys you or I could make you have one blazing finale."
The clown reared back, his painted on smile twisting. "Geez buddy, I'm just trying to earn a living." He thrust his hands at Roy.
Roy dug out a bribe's worth of sens, slapping it into the man's hand. "Go clown around with the people at the pond and take the juggler with you."
"Roy, that was rude," Riza hissed as the clown stomped off.
"Do you like clowns?"
"No, I hate them but still…"
Roy leaned in and kissed her. "You know what Maes always said about me."
She smiled under his lips. "That you're so rude, you'll live forever. He's right, you know."
"I know." Roy stood up again, digging in his pocket. Damn, his hands were shaking. He was going to look like an idiot. If he cried, Maes' ghost would be back to mock him for weeks just as he had teased his friend. He slipped the box out, covering most of it with his hand. "Riza, you know how much you mean to me. I know I don't have to put it into words but I'm going to try. I have never-"
"Bat!" someone shrilled.
Roy and Riza both ducked instinctively, even though he didn't know why. He wasn't afraid of bats but the fear in whoever it was' voice made him react. His shaking hand convulsed and the velvet box shot out like a bullet, landing in the fountain with a splash.
"Oh, shit," Roy cursed. Naturally the damn box didn't land where he could reach it without wading.
"Roy, what just went into the fountain?" Riza asked, an almost knowing looking on her face. That was worse. He didn't want her to guess at what he was up to, though granted she probably knew ten days ago this was coming. Women tended to have a sense about that sort of thing.
"Something I have to retrieve." He spread his hands then slipped off his shoes and socks.
Riza's eyes widened as she gently stroked his purple and puffy ankle. "That looks awful, Roy. I thought you were practicing healing alchemy with Alphonse."
"Uh…yeah, I got too busy to try." Translation, I've been in such knots over this proposal I forgot all about it. He rolled up his pants, trying not to think about her hands on his skin. They were in public, after all.
Roy trudged out over the fountain, pebbles and coins poking into the soft under soles of his feet. He had been in boots way too much. He had feet like a baby's bottom and he felt everything. The fountain's mermaid and her spilling urn splashed him but he recovered the box. With his back to Riza, he checked to make sure the worse didn't happen and the box had opened mid-flight. He got lucky. The ring was there.
He came back over, hopping up on the lip of the fountain. Actually, I'll look pretty romantic if I stay here with the fountain behind me. Roy amended that thought with a 'not with me looming over her.' He went to squat down on the lip. His ankle barked with pain and gave out. With a startled yelp, Roy fell too quickly to stop himself. The next thing he knew, he bounced off the flower cart, tipping it over, then he was staring up at Riza from under a mound of flowers. She had her hands over her mouth, trying hard not to laugh and failing. The vendor nudged him with a toe, oh, it was his sister, Abigail.
Roy flailed in the flowers, only succeeding in making Riza and Abigail laugh harder. He raised the box up overhead. "I had a big speech planned but I'm going to die before I manage to get it out. Riza, I love you and I never want to be without you. Please, will you marry me?" Oh hell, he was crying. Well, at least Fullmetal wasn't around to see it.
Riza leapt off the lip of the fountain and tried to help him out of the flowers. Instead, he pulled her down into them. She put her hands on his wet face. "Of course, I will."
He hugged her until they both ran out of breath then he managed to get her mother's ring out of the box and onto her finger. Riza held it up over her head.
"I thought someone was in my drawer. You're sneaky. So, fell down the fire escape, didn't you?"
"Yes, damn it." He drew her into another kiss until the flash of a camera blinded them both.
"You'll be buying all these crushed flowers," Abigail said in a no nonsense tone. "And it'll be another twenty sen if you want the picture."
"Fine, fine," Roy said, in no real hurry to get up. Finally, he was on his feet, shoes and socks back on and Abigail was paid. He trucked so many flowers back to the car, he couldn't see where he was going. Riza led him along and helped him shove them all into the back seat.
"I guess she knows where to send that photo," she mused.
"One of the family," he nodded, then took her in his flower-free arms. "I can't tell you how happy I am right now."
"I knew you'd cry." She smiled.
Roy kissed her. "That's our secret."
"I can be persuaded." Riza slipped her arms around his neck. "And you're the most persuasive man I know, dear husband to be."
"A new path for us," he murmured against her neck. "For once, one we don't have to fear where it leads.